


You're Very Deer To Me

by ZombieBabs



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Bad Puns, Claustrophobia, F/M, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 02:37:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5113082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieBabs/pseuds/ZombieBabs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the station's Halloween party, the interns plan and execute a covert operation: Lock Alex and Dr. Strand in a closet.</p><p>It doesn't go as planned.</p><p>*Edited 7.19.17</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Very Deer To Me

The interns have been staring at Alex all evening.

She doesn’t think her costume is _that_ scandalous. Sure, her makeup looks awesome, thanks to the social media manager, who is also an amateur make-up artist on Instagram. But it isn't as if she's showing off a lot of skin. Just a simple brown shift dress with black leggings and brown ankle boots.

“Oh _deer_ , Alex! What are you doing hiding back in the corner?” Nic asks, before she can start to become too self-conscious. He hands her a glass of punch, grinning around a mouthful of fangs.

“Hey Nic, nice costume! Did you grow all that hair yourself?”

He laughs. “Ah, you know, just something I bring out every once in a full moon.”

Some of the tension drops out of her shoulders. It's one of the reasons they work well together. Nic always knows how to make her laugh. “Sure, Wolf-Man. How’s the punch?”

Nic takes a sip and doesn’t bother to hide his grimace. “I think one of the interns may have spiked it. I’m tasting hints of vodka. Strong ones.”

He isn’t wrong. Alex coughs at the burn of the alcohol. “I think this might be a little too strong for me. I’ll just stick to wate--at least that won’t put me in a coma.”

“Aw, c’mon, Alex, live a little,” Nic says. He bumps her shoulder with his own. “You’ve been looking down all night. What's wrong?”

“They keep _staring_ at me.”

Nic follows her gaze and gives her a weird look. “The interns? They just want a chance to _fawn_ over you.”

Alex rolls her eyes and huffs. “You’re going to be doing bad puns all night, aren’t you?”

“You know me too well.” Nic takes another sip of punch even though it looks like it physically pains him to do so. “What are they supposed to be, anyway? They’re all dressed in black and wearing headsets.”

“Spies, maybe?” It’s the best guess she’s come up with so far.

Nic looks doubtful, “They aren’t very covert, are they? I see what you mean about staring. I’m gonna go see if I can _sniff_ out anything for you. Are you going to be okay on your own?”

“Yeah, I’m just--" Alex cuts herself off, already embarrassed.

Of course, Nic sees right through her. “Waiting for a certain good doctor?”

Alex makes a face, but doesn’t bother to deny it.

Nic’s eyes soften. He puts his hand on her shoulder. “He’ll show up, alright? Don’t spend all night making _doe_ eyes at the door.”

She smacks his arm away with a groan. “You and your puns! Get out of here!”

“That's how you know they're good puns,” Nic grins. He downs the rest of his punch in one go and takes the untouched glass back from her. “I'm gonna go pawn this off on someone who will better appreciate the delicate notes of fiery hell. Maybe see if I can get one of the interns to spill about the not-so-subtle surveillance.” 

Alex watches him go off to join the party, feeling a little silly for keeping herself so separate. She could join Nic and the others, socialize a little, while she's waiting. It's not as if she made arrangements with Strand. It's not as if it's a...date.

She's checking her phone for about the hundredth time that night when a group of interns runs up to the door, all clamoring to be noticed. 

“Dr. Strand! Dr. Strand! Who are you supposed to be?”

“Maybe he's James Bond!”

“Mob boss?”

“What about Don Draper?”

“Who?”

“Y'know, from Mad Men?”

“Clark Kent!”

“Does that mean you have a Superman costume on under your suit, Dr. Strand?”

“I'm afraid not,” Strand answers, possibly to each question. He looks a little overwhelmed at the attention.

“Okay, okay, let the man breathe!” Nic says, dispersing the crowd. 

“Thank you,” Strand says, once the interns have given them space.

They haven't gone far. They stand only a little ways away, staring at Strand almost as fervently as they've been staring at her. They whisper urgent somethings into their headsets and exchange conspicuous looks.

She doesn't know why, but it puts Alex on edge. They're planning something, she just knows it.

“I think you might have a fan club,” Alex says.

Strand turns to her and freezes for a complete second. Alex fights the urge to straighten her dress, heat already blooming in her cheeks.

He seems to shake himself out of it, whatever _it_ is. “Good evening, Alex.”

“Hi, Dr. Strand. Glad you could make it.”

“Don't you just _love_ her costume, Dr. Strand?” Nic asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Alex would punch him in the arm if he wasn't keeping a safe distance from her.

Cool blue eyes meet hers briefly. “Yes, I do. She looks very--” He stops and clears his throat, smiling a little. “Cute.”

Alex readjusts the crown of flowers pinned into her hair. “Holly did most of the work. She's a genius with a makeup palette.”

“I don't know," Nic says, grinning. "I think she just enhanced your natural beauty. Don't you, Dr. Strand?”

Alex is going to kill Nic. As soon as her cheeks stop burning. 

Nic seems to understand her murderous intent, too, because he makes his excuses and disappears back into the crowd.

“Not very subtle, is he?” Strand asks, pulling her attention back to him. The corners of his lips curl in a wry smile.

“Subtlety seems to be lacking in this office in general, it seems.”

Strand raises an eyebrow.

Alex shakes her head. “It's nothing. The interns are just acting strange tonight. Do you want any punch? I do have to warn you, thought, it might be more vodka than juice, at this point.”

Strand laughs--that delightful little huff of humor which never fails to make Alex's knees go weak. “I'll pass.”

“Good choice,” Alex says.

Alex relaxes the more they talk, until she can almost forget how awkward she felt before he arrived.

She's almost comfortable in her own skin again as they chat, when the room plunges into darkness. The music fizzles out, leaving the room in eerie silence.

“Is everyone alright?” calls Nic from somewhere across the room. He pulls out his phone and lights up the area around him with the brightness of his screen.

“Did the power go out?” asks Peter, the marketing intern.

“Seems like," Nic says. "Everyone stay calm. I'm sure it'll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, Alex, do we still have those battery operated lanterns in the maintenance closet?”

“We should. I'll see if I can find them.”

Strand is warm, standing close by her side. He already has the flashlight on his phone pointed toward the floor at their feet. “I'll go with Alex.”

“Okay, great,” Nic says. “I guess we can tell scary stories while we wait for the power to come back. Perfect atmosphere for Halloween, at least. Anyone got anything?”

Alex and Strand leave them to it and make their way down the hallway. Shadows crawl up the walls in the light cast by their flashlights.

"I can't believe the power went out,” Alex says.

“It does seem apt.”

Alex smiles. “I think the word you might be thinking of is 'spooky.”

He laughs. “Perhaps.”

When they get to the maintenance closet, Strand hangs back in the doorway while Alex digs through unmarked boxes.

“I could of sworn they were in here,” she mutters. She frowns. The lanterns must be up on the top shelf. Way above her reach. “Dr. Strand, can you hand me that box? I think the lanterns might be in there.”

Strand hesitates, but steps into the closet. It's a tight fit, the closet being barely big enough for one person to stand in, let alone two grown adults, especially one as tall as Strand. Alex moves as far out of the way as she can as he reaches up and over her. 

The door slams shut.

Strand goes still. Alex would even go as far as to say he's gone rigid.

“Dr. Strand?”

“Yes?” Even his voice is tight.

“Why did the door just close? By itself?”

“I'm sure it didn't close on its own.” He hands her the box and turns to try the knob. He curses. “It's locked.”

“Locked?” 

“Yes.”

“How could it be locked? It needs a key.”

Strand sighs. “The obvious answer would be someone has locked us in.”

Alex frowns. “Why would someone want to lock us in a closet?”

“I don't know.”

“Can you hold the box while I go through it? At least then we'll have a little more light.”

Strand shuffles around to face her. His expression is closed off. Alex can only imagine how annoyed he must be. He takes the box from her and holds it as she breaks through the packing tape. “Yes! I knew they had to be in here. Always the last box you check.” 

Alex switches on the first one she pulls out of the box. It doesn't work. “Shit. The batteries must be dead.”

Alex checks each lantern and each bulb refuses to light.

“There are no batteries in any of the other boxes?”

Is it just her or does Strand sound a little breathless?

“No," Alex says. "We keep those in a supply cabinet in the offices.”

Strand doesn't answer. Alex tries to subtly angle her phone's light toward his face to better see his expression.

She's surprised to find his eyes closed tight behind the lenses of his glasses. He seems to be struggling to draw in deep, even breaths. 

“Dr. Strand?”

His breath hitches. “Y-yes.”

“Are you okay?”

He swallows. “Fine.”

Alex knows this, at least, is a big, fat fib. With the way his chest is rising and falling erratically, he isn't _fine_. She narrows her eyes at him. “Are you--are you claustrophobic?” 

It takes him a moment to answer. “Very small, very dark places make me...uncomfortable.”

“So, yes.”

“I just--I need a minute.”

Alex takes the box of useless lanterns and wedges it onto one of the shelves behind her. “You need to breathe.”

“Easier,” he says, pulling at his tie. “Easier said than done.”

His breath comes faster now, like he's fighting not to suffocate.

Alex tries not to panic. “You're starting to hyperventilate. Look at me.”

If anything, his eyes squeeze tighter shut.

“Richard, look at me. I need you to watch me and do as I do.” 

When it doesn't look like he's listening, she startles him into opening his eyes with a hand on his arm. “You with me?”

He gives her a shaky nod. His eye meet hers. He holds her gaze like it's the only thing keeping him sane.

Alex doesn't look away.

“Okay, here we go. Breathe in.” Alex draws in a breath for four counts. 

“Okay, now we're going to hold it.” Again, Alex counts to four. 

“Breath out, now, as slowly as you can.” She breathes out, for another count of four. 

“Good," she says. "Now hold it again.”

It takes him a few tries, but eventually Strand is able to follow her as she breathes. She keeps going, until she's certain he can breathe again on his own.

“You're okay. We're okay," she says. "Just keep breathing, alright? Someone will come looking for us and let us out.”

“Where did you learn that?” he asks. He sounds exhausted, but steady. At least now she shouldn't have to worry about him passing out. 

“Learn what?”

“Square breathing.”

Alex smiles. “My mom has panic attacks. Her therapist recommended it and she says it really helps. She taught it to me way back in college to help with exam stress.”

“Thank her for me.”

Alex laughs. “I'll let her know. She'll be happy to know it did someone good.”

They're both quiet for a moment. Alex listens to him breathe, just to make sure. He's still tense and his eyes are tight, but he seems as calm as can be expected. For now. She doesn't know how long they'll be stuck like this.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” Strand puts his hand over hers where it still rests on his arm. 

Feeling bold, Alex laces their fingers together. “Don't thank me yet. We're still stuck in this closet.”

Strand hesitates, opening his mouth before closing it again. “Alex, I--”

He leans forward and for a second, Alex thinks he's about to kiss her. She doesn't know whether to be disappointed or touched when all he does is rest his forehead against hers. “Thank you. I mean it.”

Alex doesn't know what to say in the face of such genuine gratitude, so she says nothing, just lets him take whatever comfort he needs--and maybe takes a little of her own.

Eventually, after long minutes pass, the door swings open. Nic's voice seems over-loud when it breaks the silence. “Oh my God, I'm so sorry. One of the interns cracked and told me about Operation Schrodinger’s Closet. Seems like there were bets on whether you would kill each other or--I'm just glad I found you. I sent Chelci to go flip the breakers back on. Power should be back any minute. Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we're fine,” Alex says, breaking away from Strand.

Nic's eyes widen, at their position, but he has the sense not to say anything. At least while Strand is right there. She'll get an earful from him later. “Dr. Strand, you have permission to murder every one of the interns.”

Strand straightens his jacket, then turns to enter the hallway with Alex trailing behind. “Thank you for the kind offer, Nic. You may want to give them a head start.”

Nic grins. “Yeah, I'll go ahead to give them warning. Sorry again about all this. I'm sure this isn't how you planned to spend your Halloween.”

They watch as Nic takes off back to the party, presumably to warn the others about their imminent demise.

“You aren't actually going to go after any of them, are you?”

Strand shakes his head.

“But it doesn't hurt to scare them a little.” Alex says, grinning.

He smiles back at her, but Alex can tell he's still tense. 

“We don't have to go back to the party if you don't want to.”

Strand takes her hand and squeezes it. “No. I want to.”

Doubtful, Alex frowns. “Are you sure? We could go out for coffee or--”

“I'm sure,” he interrupts. “Really, Alex.”

Smiling, she starts to lead him back down the dark hallway, but he holds her back. “Dr. Strand?”

The look he gives her is very serious. “I wanted to tell you--”

He pauses.

“Tell me what?”

A slow smile pulls at his lips. “That you're very _deer_ to me.” 

Alex blinks.

And then she gets it.

She groans. “Not you, too!”

**Author's Note:**

> *Edited 7.19.17


End file.
